Killian (On the Line #1) - Brenda Rothert Page 0,16
the drink station. “I saw it run under there! I’m sorry about your shirt, Sid, but I am seriously scared of all rodents.”
Just saying the word seemed to make her shudder.
“You girls okay?”
One of the janitors stuck his head through the open doorway, looking at Keri, who was crouched on the desk.
“Sid!”
The male voice calling my name was accompanied by pounding footsteps in the hallway. Killian appeared with Liam close behind.
“You alright?” Killian asked, coming into the office. His pale blue eyes were locked on me.
“We’re okay. There’s a mouse—”
“A mutant mouse!” Keri cried, her eyes wide with terror. “That thing was the size of a kitten.”
Killian blew out a breath, looking relieved. “Probably a rat. We get them in here on occasion.”
“I might have a trap downstairs,” the janitor suggested.
“It’s under there,” I said, pointing to the drink station.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t come down from here until it’s gone,” Keri said.
“We’ll get rid of it,” Liam said, looking at Killian. “You take one end and I’ll take the other. We’ll chase it out and then catch it.”
“With your hands?” I looked at them, horrified. “It might bite you or something.”
Killian glanced around the room. They both wore their practice pants and T-shirts, and Liam pulled his T-shirt over his head.
“We can trap it in my shirt,” he said, walking to one end of the drink station.
“Be careful,” Keri said in a small voice. “That thing might gnaw your face off.”
Liam gave her an amused glance. “We’ve got it, don’t worry.”
One of Liam’s arms was covered in a dark sleeve tattoo, and his skin glistened with moisture. All three of my employees were staring openly.
Killian pulled his T-shirt over his head, and I couldn’t help staring myself. He had several small tattoos on the top of his chest. Every one of his arm and chest muscles was defined and I swallowed hard, forcing my eyes away.
They both took a goaltender’s stance at the ends of the drink station, and I couldn’t resist a small grin. This puck was going to be fast and furry, but hopefully it wouldn’t be flying through the air.
The janitor swept a broom handle beneath the reclaimed buffet and a blur of gray emerged out Liam’s end. He jumped on it, covering the rat, which was enormous, with his shirt. He enclosed it and picked it up.
The bundle in his shirt was squirming and squealing, and I looked over at Keri. She was pale and appeared on the verge of passing out.
“Get it out of here,” Killian said.
“I’ll take it to the alley.” Liam walked out the doorway and a collective sigh of relief sounded around the room.
“Barb, can you call an exterminator?” I asked. “We need to have this place treated.”
Killian went to Barb’s desk and offered Keri a hand. She took it and he helped her down.
“I’m so sorry, Sid,” she said.
I waved a hand dismissively. “It’s nothing. You alright now?”
She nodded. “I think I’ll go down and watch practice for a bit if you don’t mind. Just getting out of this office will help. I’ll be okay when I get back.”
Killian cocked his head at me, tilting it toward the open doorway. I followed him into the hallway, hoping he didn’t plan to continue our argument from the other night.
“You want one of my T-shirts?” he asked. “I’d give you this one, but it’s sweaty.”
I looked down at my brown-stained sweater. I kept extra clothes in my New York office, but hadn’t gotten around to bringing anything here.
“That’d be nice. I’d go home and change, but I have a meeting at eleven.”
“I’ll bring one up.”
I fell into step beside him. “I can just come down with you. Thanks for the save, by the way.”
He glanced over and grinned. “No problem. I take it that was Keri who screamed?”
“Yeah. She’s mortified by the whole thing, I can tell.”
“That scared the shit out of me. I thought someone was up here hurting you guys or something. I took my skates off in about five seconds.”
His concern and chivalry warmed me. I’d never had a man run to my rescue. Mostly because I’d never needed it, but he didn’t know that. I would’ve caught the rat myself. It wouldn’t have been the most pleasant part of my day, and it probably would’ve involved putting a bucket over it until an exterminator arrived, but I would’ve taken care of it.
“You weren’t scared of it,” he said as we walked down the concrete arena stairs.
“No.”
“What are you